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Mechanical Augmentation
Mechanical augmentation involves the use of cybernetics in order to improve or replace human body parts. It is distinguished from basic limb prosthetics in that they interface directly with the central nervous system, as opposed to just the ends of peripheral nerves. They must be surgically installed, which naturally means there’s a recovery time and recommended sessions with physiologists to learn how to use the new bits properly. The pain that came from the surgery and natural biological rejection of these mechanical upgrades have caused quite the stir in the media when it was first released to the public. This led to the creation of the miracle pill/anti-rejection drug, Dyphytonin developed by GenSys Labs. Although these upgrades are costly, they are commonly acquired through certain occupational fields. Powell Industries have begun making this new wave technology more accessible to the public and have since released various types of augmentations that make daily life easier for their consumers. There is (as you might expect) a kind of counter-movement against the tendency for mechanical enhancement. The Mundane Collective, for instance, does not permit its members to have any such “unliving parts.” Certain augmentations, better known as “slugs,” are a self-contained enhancement system. Slugs can be interchanged without surgery, about as easily as replacing a printer’s ink cartridge. Slug Classification Class 1 slugs hook into the nervous system to supplement existing body functions and techniques. They allow an installed slug to interact with your body as a kind of secondary brain, accepting input from senses, processing that input, and manipulating muscles accordingly. These sockets are relatively small and light, and are usually anchored to bone but not integrated into it. Class 1 slugs are expensive but commercially available, and exist in numerous varieties. Class 2 slugs connect to the nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems to form a significant enhancement or addition to the body’s natural capabilities. They allow an installed slug to perform as a semi-autonomous sub-unit of the body, often generating new sensory inputs or providing self-contained skillsets or interfaces. Class 2 slugs must be more fully integrated into the body in order to function properly, and are often built into the bone structure and directly connected to musculature and ligaments. Class 2 slugs are available primarily through military and industrial supply, and tend to be specialized by provider and intended market. Class 3 slugs replace biological components to provide functions that substantially exceed the capabilities of the original parts. Essentially, these slugs form attachments for cybernetic prosthetics. The advantage of the socket system in these situations is the capacity for interchangeability, while typical prosthetics are permanent replacements. The installation of a class 3 slug is a non-reversible process; most often, in fact, it is chosen as a more versatile alternative when a standard prosthesis would otherwise be fitted. Class 3 components (too complex in form and function to be called “slugs”) are virtually unavailable in the general market and must be specially constructed. The U.S. Military and A.E.G.I.S. are known to equip their operatives with Class 2 and 3 slugs. You may have as many slugs as you can fit on your body, and carry around all the spare slugs you have the strength to lift. You cannot gain the benefit of a slug if you do not have an available socket to fit it. Class 2 sockets can only fit Class 2 slugs, and so on.